Cover image courtesy of Race Images South
Written by Paul Vettise
Michael and Matthew Pitman will again be emptying their Riccarton stable to attack New Zealand Cup week and this year the father and son team will have their highest representation ever over the course of seven days.
The Pitmans will be represented by 36 horses over the course of the carnival, which opens on Saturday and a major focus on the G1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas with Marine (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) and Watchmaker (NZ) (Pins).
Marine’s lead-up form to the Classic has fuelled stable confidence with the only mishap an injury to jockey Kavish Chowdhoory, who has handled the gelding in all three of his starts.
“He broke his arm in a track accident on Friday morning. He was riding the quietest horse and it just stumbled and he came off,” Michael Pitman said.
Michael McNab will take the reins aboard Marine and as a multiple Group 1-winning rider a wise head will step into the breach and a combination deserving of the utmost respect.
Marine was a debut winner at Timaru in early September and has subsequently finished runner-up in both the Inglewood Stud Guineas Trial and in the G3 War Decree S.
“I’m very happy with him and we were walking a tightrope to get him ready, but we’re there now,” Pitman said. “He won first-up and his two runs since then we’ve ridden him in behind with the Guineas in mind and he’s gone very well both times.
“I’m very happy with him and we were walking a tightrope to get him ready, but we’re there now.” – Michael Pitman
“Unfortunately, in both his last two races they were run in the slowest time of each day and he’s better if they go hard up front, which they always do in the Guineas.
“There’s two or three front-runners and our horse has a very high cruising speed so the harder they go the better for him.”
The encouraging start Marine has made to his career has also attracted the attention of buyers.
“He’s a really nice horse and we’ve refused a lot of money for him because I want to train the winner of the Guineas,” said Pitman, whose wife Diane is involved in the ownership.
Marine (NZ) as a weanling
Bred by Waikato Stud, Marine was initially purchased as a weanling by Sheamus Mills Bloodstock for NZ$45,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s May Sale and was purchased out of Ohukia Lodge’s Ready to Run Sale draft by Pitman for NZ$50,000.
He is a son of the unraced O’Reilly (NZ) mare We Love (NZ), who is a half-sister to the Listed Widden S. winner and G2 Magic Night S. placegetter Delta Girl (General Nediym).
They are out of a half-sister to the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas runner-up Ambitious (NZ) (Last Tycoon {Ire}), the dam of the G3 Gloaming S. winner Strike The Stars (NZ) (Savabeel) and close relation Adelaide Ace (NZ) (Savabeel) who's a winner of the G2 Autumn Classic.
Solid lead-up form
Watchmaker won his maiden two runs back and then finished fourth in the G3 Barneswood Farm S. and is also a Waikato Stud graduate and a NZ$75,000 yearling purchase for Brewers Bloodstock.
He is a son of Tick Tock (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) and the family of the Group 1 winners Xtravagant (NZ) (Pentire {GB}), Legs (NZ) (Pins) and Spottswoode (NZ) (Centaine).
“Watchmaker should get a good cushy run with Chris (Johnson). In his last run, he ran the fastest last half-mile at Ashburton of any horse that day and that includes the open sprinters. It was a really good effort,” Pitman said.
Watchmaker (NZ) | Image courtesy of Race Images South
The stable also has a leading chance in the Listed Brokerweb Risk Services Pegasus S. with Sensei (Dream Ahead {USA}), in which barnmate Nellie Bly (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}).
“Sensei is a class above and the only worry is getting a decent track, he has to have a firm track. He’s flying,” Pitman said.
Successful in this race last year after placing in the G1 Telegraph H., he hasn’t raced since March, but was a trial winner at Ashburton.
Bred by Emirates Park, Pitman bought Sensei at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $60,000 and the 6-year-old has so far banked more than NZ$200,000.
A half-brother to the G2 Queensland Guineas winner and sire Rothesay, Sensei is out of Schiaparelli (Woodman {USA}) who is a daughter of the three-time G1 winner Canny Lass (Canny Lad), a sister to the G1 Golden Slipper S. winner and successful sire Canny Lad.
